Dear Editor@Matzav,
I am sickened beyond words.
I live in Lakewood, NJ. And I am disgusted by the recent advertising of “Super Bowl specials” by local frum stores in our community.
It is profoundly troubling to witness businesses promoting something that goes against our hashkafah and they’re not embarrassed to do so.
The Super Bowl, with its associated culture of excess and immodesty, stands in stark contrast to the hashkafos we strive to uphold.
If someone wants to watch the Super Bowl in the privacy of their home or office, that’s their business. I don’t get involved in what people do in their own lives. But advertising Super Bowl specials in every local publication? What has happened to us?
What is even more distressing is the apparent indifference displayed by the hashgachos responsible for supervising these stores. The major local hashgacha allows this to go on without protest? Shame on them.
If it was me, I would tell every store that if they advertise a Super Bowl special by name, I am pulling the hashgacha. End of story.
By allowing stores to continue operating without consequence despite their promotion of such “Superbowl specials,” these hashgachos are failing in their duty to uphold our communal hashkafic standards.
Equally disheartening is the lack of action from our rabbinic leadership. In the face of such blatant disregard for our values, one would expect rabbonim to take a firm stance and speak out against these advertisements – and compel the supervising agency to pull their hashgacha. Yet, the silence is deafening, leaving many of us feeling abandoned and disillusioned.
It is sickening to witness our kehillah’s complacency in the face of hashkafic compromise. By turning a blind eye to the promotion of Super Bowl specials, we are implicitly condoning this type of twisted hashkafah, as if it’s normal. It’s a disgrace.
We’ve totally lost our direction.
Shame on us.
Sincerely,
B. K.